Transmission of flowable substances



June 13, 1961 G. E. EUWE TRANSMISSION OF FLOWABLE SUBSTANCES Filed Oct. 28, 1955 AWL TRANSMISSION OF FLOWABLE SUBSTAYCES Gerrit Evert Euwe, Vlaardingen, Netherlands, assignor to Lever Brothers Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Maine Filed Oct. 28, 1955, Ser. No. 543,427 Claims priority, application Netherlands Oct. 29, 1954 5 Claims. (Cl. 99-244) This invention relates to the transmission of flowable substances and, in particular, to the transmission of plastic substances, such as margarine, lard and the like. More particularly, it relates to means for coupling a supply device which continuously supplies a flowable substance under pressure to an accepting device which intermittently accepts a quantity of such substance. Still more particularly, it relates to means for coupling a continuously operating machine for producing a flowablesubstance to an intermittently operating packing machine which, for example, forms the flowable substance into blocks or prints and wraps the block or print when formed.

When it is desired to couple a device which continuously supplies a flowable substance under pressure to a device which intermittently accepts a quantity of such substance, the connection between the two devices should be provided with means for adapting the capacity of the connection to the varying quantity of substance therein. One such connection is described in United States Patent No. 2,474,136. According to this patent specification, a continuously operating machine for producing plastic materials is coupled to an intermittently operating packing machine by a connection between the outlet of the producing machine and the inlet of the packing machine. The connection is provided with means for applying additional pressure to the material therein while the packing machine is open to be charged and for releasing this pressure while the packing machine is closed. This means applying additional pressure serves to accommodate the material issuing from the producing machine during the period of closure of the packing machine. Preferably, the means applying additional pressure -'consists of a cylinder connected as a branch to the connection, a piston within this cylinder, and means for applying pressure behind the piston and then to the material in the connection.

This last mentioned embodiment of the arrangement described in United States Patent No. 2,474,136 has the disadvantage that if the packing machine, that is the accepting device, stops temporarily, the connection is unable to accommodate the substance supplied by the continuously operating supply machine during the period of stoppage unless the cylinder accommodating the piston is made excessively large. However, even if the cylinder is made large enough to accommodate the temporary excess of flowable substance supplied during the period of stoppage of the accepting device and the stroke of the piston made correspondingly large, there is a possibility of the temporary excess of substance not flowing to the accepting device until the piston has reached that end of the cylinder which is attached to the connection.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for coupling a supply device for continuously supplying a flowable substance to an accepting device which intermittently accepts a quantity of such substance, which arrangement avoids the above mentioned disadvantages.

The present invention therefore provides an arrangement for coupling a supply device for continuously supplying a flowable substance under pressure to an accepting device which intermittently accepts a quantity of such substance, this arrangement consisting of a con- 2,987,986 Patented June 1-3, 1961 nection between the outlet of the supply device and the inlet of the accepting device, a first piston movable with respect to said connection so as to alter the capacity thereof, and having an aperture in its head through which the substance from the supply device passes to the accepting device, and pressure means for applying pressure to the piston and thereby to the substance when present in the main conduit.

The connection preferably includes a first conduit enclosing the piston head of the first piston, one end of which conduit communicates with the inlet of the accepting device. The other end of this conduit is preferably open to the atmosphere and the rod of the first piston moves through this open end.

The piston head of the first piston is preferably provided with distributing means for distributing the flowable substance evenly over the entire cross-section of the connection. These means may be a perforated plate or double cone. The use of such means ensures that channelling of the substance, particularly in the case of margarine, is avoided; that is to say, any substance which has solidified is prevented from sticking to the Wall of the connection and leaving a central channel open for the flow of substance which has not completely solidified.

If the output of the supply device is independent of any back-pressure set up in the connection when the accepting device is not accepting flowable substance, then the means applying pressure to the piston may be arranged to operate continuously. On the other hand, if the output of the supply device is dependent on any back-pressure set up in the connection, then the means applying pressure may be arranged to operate intermittently; for example, this means may be arranged to apply pressure to the piston when the accepting device is open to receive a quantity of flowable substance and to release that pressure when the accepting device is closed to the flow of flowable substance.

The means applying additional pressure to the piston may be pneumatic or hydraulic pressure means, as pneumatic and hydraulic pressure can be accurately and easily adjusted and can also be quickly applied and released. Preferably, the hydraulic or pneumatic means consist of a second and coaxial piston rigidly connected to the first piston, the head of the second piston being preferably in a second conduit independent of the first conduit and connected to a source of pneumatic or hydraulic pressure. In this last mentioned embodiment leakage of air or liquid along the first conduit in the connection is avoided.

The flowable substance may be fed to the connection via the opening in the piston through a flexible hose connected to the aperture in the head of the first piston. In a preferred embodiment, however, the piston rod of the first piston in the connection is in the form of a tube in line with the aperture in the piston head. A fixed tube connected to the supply device is a sliding fit concentrically within the tubular piston rod, the arrangement of the tube and rod being telescopic in character. This arrangement allows the fixed tube to be cleaned readily and avoids the risk of the flowable substance acquiring the odour and taste from the material forming a flexible hose. In the case Where the means applying additional pressure includes a second and coaxial piston, the fixed tube can pass through this second piston which is provided with an aperture in which the fixed tube is a sliding fit for this purpose.

In another embodiment of the invention the fixed tube connected to the supply device is connected telescopically through a suitable gland to a tube attached to the movable piston in the connection, this tube being in line with the aperture in the piston. In this embodiment the piston is actuated by a second coaxial piston as described'above only in this case the rod connecting the two pistons does not enclose the tube through which the flowable substance is supplied to the aperture in the piston within the connection.

Means may be provided for automatically stopping the supply of flowable substance to the coupling arrangement from the supply device when the first piston within the connection is at one extreme of its traverse within the connection. Alternatively, or in addition, means may be provided for automatically stopping the output of flowable substance from the coupling arrangement to the accepting device when the piston is at the other extreme of its traverse. In the embodiment utilising two pistons these stop means may comprise suitably positioned lugs on the piston rod connecting the two pistons, which lugs co-operate with electrical or mechanical trip devices for stopping the appropriate flow of fiowable substance or with valve means for diverting the appropriate. flow of flowable substance from the coupling arrangement and/or the accepting device. In a preferred embodiment utilising two piston heads, the movement of the piston head actuated by hydraulic or pneumatic pressure over suitably positioned orifices in the cylinder enclosing the piston actuates means for stopping the operation of the accepting device or output of the supply device, respectively.

The coupling arrangement according to the invention is particularly useful in processes for continuously producing margarine and packing the continuously produced margarine. In one such process, described in A. E. Baileys book Industrial Oil and Fat Products, Interscience Publishers Inc., New York (1945), pages 702 to 708, the ingredients are quickly cooled and stirred in an apparatus which is generally known as the A unit of a Votator. After it has passed through such a device the emulsified material which has not yet completely solidified passes to a crystallisation chamber or B unit of a Votator in which it remains for a length of time sufficient for the desired consistency of margarine to be attained. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the dimensions of the connection are so chosen that the connection functions as the crystallisation chamber. To ensure that the margarine for any position of the first piston remains in the connection sufficiently long for the desired consistency to be attained, the internal volume of the part of the connection not traversed by the head of the first piston should be equal to at least Qt, where Q is the output rate of the supplydeviceand t the time required for the desired consistency to be attained.

The connection in the last mentioned embodiment may be fitted with means for homogenising the emulsified material, for example, a succession of screens and baflies,

screen.

The connection is preferably provided with means for heating it externally, for example, a heating jacket. This avoids the setting of the material in the connection .to such consistency as to be difficult to flow should the flow in the connection temporarily stop because of a breakdown in the supply device or accepting device or other stoppage in the complete system.

The invention will now be illustrated by means of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in Which- FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through one embodiment of an arrangement according to the invention;

- the latter being so arranged that the emulsified material changes its direction suddenly after passing through a as shown. The orifice 5 is in alignment with a hollow rod 6 which connects piston head 4 to a second and coaxial piston head 7. The latter can move in a cylinder 3 connected to cylinder 1 by an open distance piece 9. The end of rod 6 attached to piston head 7 is sealed by a plate 10. A second hollow rod 11 passes through an opening in plate It and penetrates coaxially into rod 6. The interior of rod 11 is sealed oflf from that of rod 6 by two packing rings 12 on the outside of rod 11. Rod llv passes through an opening in a cover 13 which closes that end of cylinder 8 which is remote from the distance piece 9. The end 14 of rod 11 projecting beyond the cover 13 is connected to a continuously operating supply device (not shown) through a piston valve 42, the function of which is described below.

A double conical head 15 is secured to the piston head 4 by bolts 16. Distance pins 17 ensure that a gap exists between the heads 15 and 4 to allow material to emerge from the orifice 5 and to be distributed evenly over the cross-section of the cylinder 1 by the head IS.

Hydraulic or pneumatic pressure applied through an orifice 18 in the cover 13 moves piston head 7 in cylinder 8, the movement being transmitted by rod 6 and piston head 4 to the material in cylinder 1. The pressure on piston head 7 can be applied continuously or intermittently.

When using the arrangement of FIGURE 1 in the continuous manufacture of margarine, A Votator is connected to the end 14 of rod 11 and theno-zzle 3 connected to the forming chamber of an intermittently operating packing machine (not shown), which measures, forms, and wraps a certain volume of margarine. The aim of the coupling arrangement to to synchronise the quantity of substance supplied in unit time by the Votator with the quantity of margarine taken up in unit time by the packing machine. As the Votator operates continuously and the packaging machine operates intermittently, piston head 4 will move tothe right in FIGURE 1 when the forming chamber is closed and to the left when it is open. If the packing machine stops completely, piston 4 will move to the right in FIGURE 1 until piston head 7 contacts a stop 19 attached to cover 13. In the event of the Votator stopping, piston 4 will be moved to'the left in FIGURE 1 until piston head 7 contacts a stop 20 attached to the distance piece 9.

Stops may be fitted to rod 6 for stopping the feeding of material when piston head 4 is at one of its extremities of movement or the deliveryof material when it is at the other extremity.

Preferably, however, the stop means includes the piston valve 42 fitted with a plunger 52 and connected as shown in FIGURE 1 to the end 14 .of rod 11 through a stop-cock 43. Valve 42-is also connected by conduit 44 to the supply device, by conduit 45 to an orifice 46 in cylinder 8 near one end of the traverse of piston head 7 in this cylinder and by conduit 47 to a tank for waste margarine. An orifice 43 in cylinder 8 near the other .end of the traverse of piston head 7 is connected by a conduit 49 to a small piston 50 which operates a trip switch '51 on the packing machine. In operation a con- .stant air pressure is maintained behind piston head 7 equal to the pressure ofthe material in cylinder 1. If the pressure in cylinder 1 changes because the packing machine stops, pistonheads 4 and 7 move to the right until head 7 has passed orifice 46. vWhen this happens the pressure below .the plunger 52 falls and the plunger moves down. The part 53 moves into. line with the throughway in stop-cock 43 and cuts off the supply of margarine in conduit .44 from rod 11. At the same time the throughway 54 in plunger 52 moves into alignment with conduit 47 and the supply of material from conduit 44 passes to the waste tank through conduit 47. Consequently, the supply of material is switched from cylinder 1 to the waste tank when considerably morematerial is supplied to cylinder 1 thancan be accepted by the packing machine. 0n the other hand, when the packing ma chine takes up more margarine thanis supplied through rod 6, piston head 7-moves to the left until it passes over orifice 48. When this happens the air pressure in cylinder 8 will be transmitted by conduit 49 to piston 50. 'The latter will then operate the trip switch 51 to stop the packing machine.

Cylinder 1 is provided with an orifice 21 for removing any material which might have leaked along piston head 4. An orifice 22 is provided in rod 6 for a similar purpose.

The part of the crystallising device 2 which is beyond the stroke of piston head 4 is of such dimensions that the material is retained in it, even when piston head 4 is at the left extremity of its stroke, for a suflicient time to enable the material to acquire the desired consistency before passing out through the nozzle 3.

Should it be desired to homogenise the material in the crystallising device a homogenising device may be introduced in the crystallising device in any appropriate position. Such a device may consist of the succession of screens and baflles mentioned above.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the embodiment shown therein differs chiefly from that of FIGURE 1 in that the material is fed to the coupling arrangement through a fixed tube 23 located on the outside of the coupling arrangement. This tube 23 is connected telescopically by means of a packing ring 24 to a tube 25 as in FIGURE 3. The tube 25 is, in turn, connected to a movable piston head 26. The material from the supply device is fed to tube 23 through a valve 27 and then through tubes 23 and 25 to an orifice 28 in piston head 26 as shown. The piston head 26 has a channel 29 in connection with orifice 28 and this channel connects the orifice to a central orifice 30 in the piston head. A perforated plate 31 in front of orifice 30 distributes material passing through the orifice 30 over the entire cross-section of cylinder 32.

The operation of the arrangement of FIGURE 2 is similar to that of FIGURE 1. The piston 26 is moved by means of a rod 33 connecting piston head 26 with another piston head 34 in a cylinder 35. Pneumatic or hydraulic pressure is applied to cylinder 35 through an orifice 37 in a cover 36 or cylinder 35. Cylinder 35 is connected rigidly to cylinder 32 by an open distance-piece 38. The crystallising device 39 in the arrangement of FIGURE 2 is provided with a heated jacket 40 to prevent any material, such as margarine, in the device 29 becoming too stiff to flow through the coupling arrangement. An outlet 41 is provided on the crystallising device 39 for emptying the coupling arrangement, this outlet being closed during operation of the arrangement. A homogenising device may be included in the crystallising device as mentioned above with reference to FIGURE 1. In FIGURE 2 a preferred type of homogenising device is shown in a preferred position. It consists of two perforated plates 58 and 59 spaced at a distance apart and secured by bolts 60 and nuts 55 to the piston head 26. The spacing of the tubes is maintained by collars 56 and 57 fitting over the bolt.

Other embodiments of the invention can be visualised, based on the through-flow principle of the arrangement of the invention; for example, the piston heads 4 and 26 above can be actuated by spring or weight loading instead of hydraulic or pneumatic pressure. Again, the piston heads need not move in their respective cylinders but may carry sleeves which move telescopically on the outside of each cylinder.

I claim:

1. An arrangement for coupling a supply device for continuously supplying a flowable substance under pressure to an accepting device which intermittently accepts a quantity of such substance, this arrangement consisting of a first conduit, a first piston movable within said first conduit so as to alter the capacity thereof and having an aperture in its head through which the substance from the supply device passes to the accepting device, a second conduit, a second piston movable in said second conduit, a mechanical connection between said first and said second piston, fluid pressure means connected to said second conduit for actuating the second piston to urge the first piston to reduce the capacity of the first conduit, the second conduit on the side of the second piston not in contact with the fluid pressure being open to the atmosphere, valve means for interrupting the flow of substance from the supply device to the first conduit, plunger means for actuating the valve means, and a third conduit connecting the plunger means to the second conduit to conduct fluid pressure therefrom to maintain the valve means in the open position when the second piston is away from the extreme position in the second conduit corresponding to the maximum capacity of the first conduit, said second piston interrupting the connection between said fluid pressure means and said third conduit when the second piston is in that extreme position to release the fluid pressure applied to the plunger.

2. An arrangement for coupling a supply device for continuously supplying a flowable substance under pressure to an accepting device which intermittently accepts a quantity of such substance, this arrangement consisting of a first conduit, a first piston movable within said first conduit so as to alter the capacity thereof and having an aperture extending through it, a second conduit, a second piston movable in said second conduit and having a passage extending through it, a first tube secured to said first and second piston to provide a mechanical connection between said first and said second piston, a second tube fixed relative to the second conduit and passing into the first tube, whereby substance from the supply device passes through the second tube, the first tube, and the aperture in the first piston into the first conduit, fluid pressure means connected to said second conduit for actuating the second piston to urge the first piston to reduce the capacity of the first conduit, the second conduit on the side of the second piston not in contact with the fluid pressure being open to the atmosphere, valve means for interrupting the flow of substance from the supply device to the first conduit, plunger means for actuating the valve means, and a third conduit connecting the plunger means to the second conduit to conduct fluid pressure therefrom to maintain the valve means in the open position when the second piston is away from the extreme position in the second conduit corresponding to the maximum capacity of the first conduit, said second piston interrupting the connection between the fluid pressure means and said third conduit when the second piston is in that extreme position to release the fluid pressure applied to the plunger.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2 including a double convex cone secured to the first piston in front of that piston and providing an annular space between it and the first conduit for distributing the fiowable substance from the aperture.

4. An arrangement for coupling a supply device for continuously supplying a flowable substance under pressure to an accepting device which intermittently accepts a quantity of such substance, this arrangement consisting of a first conduit, a first piston movable Within said first conduit so as to alter the capacity thereof and having an aperture in its head through which the substance from the supply device passes to the accepting device, a second conduit, a second piston movable in said second conduit, a mechanical connection between said first and said second piston, fluid pressure means connected to said second conduit for actuating the second piston to urge the first piston to reduce the capacity of the first conduit, the second conduit on the side of the second piston not in contact with the fluid pressure being open to the atmosphere, valve means for interrupting the flow of substance from the supply device to the first conduit, first plunger means for actuating the valve means, a third conduit connecting the first plunger means to the second conduit to conduct fluid pressure therefrom to maintain the valve means in the open position when the second piston is away from extreme position in the second conduit corresponding to the maximum capacity of the first conduit, said second piston interrupting the connection be tween .said fluid pressure means and said third conduit when the second piston is in that extreme position to release the fluid pressure applied to the first plunger, control means for stopping the operation of the accepting device, second plunger means for actuating the control means, and a fourth conduit connecting the plunger means to the second conduit to conduct fluid pressure therefrom to maintain the control means in the stopping condition when the second piston is in the extreme position in the second conduit corresponding to the minimum capacity of the first conduit, said second piston interrupting the connection between said fluid pressure means and said fourth conduit when the second piston is away from that extreme position to release the fluid pressure applied to the second plunger.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4 in which the second piston has a passage extending therethrough, in which the mechanicalconnection comprises a first tube secured to saidfirstand second piston, and in which a second tube fixed relative to the second conduit passes into the first tube, whereby substance from the supply devices passes through the second tube,,the first tube and the aperture in the first piston into the first conduit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 184,562 Waste Nov. 21, 1876 1,224,914 Field et al. May 8, 1917 1,398,003 Clayton et al. Nov. 22, 1921 1,533,191 Kaiser et al Apr. 14, 1925 2,280,022 Banigan et al. Apr. 14, 1942 2,381,505 Lindholm v Aug. 7, 1945 2,443,146 Pyles June 8, 1948 2,474,136 Wilson et al. June 21, 1949 2,514,841 Chase July 11, 1950 2,558,204 Wilson et al. Jupe 26, 1951 2,708,600 Froidevaux May 17, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 589,095 Great Britain a June 11, 1947 161 Philippine Republic Apr. 9, 1953 

